The Vikings racked up nearly 600 yards of total offense (562), more than doubled up the opposition in 1st downs (26-12) and held a 13-minute advantage in time of possession, but it wasn’t enough to close the exhibition season with a victory. The Houston Texans overcame those deficiencies while building statistical advantages of their own en route to a 28-24 victory on Thursday evening at Reliant Stadium.
Houston jumped out to an early lead after RB Justin Forsett capped their game-opening drive with a 3-yard TD run. The score after the 1st quarter remained 7-0 in favor of Houston, but over the next two quarters of play the points came fast and furious. Vikings rookie K Blair Walsh converted a 36-yard try to put the Vikings on the board and make the score 7-3, and then the teams traded long TDs. Texans rookie WR DeVier Posey took a quick slant and turned it into an 80-yard TD reception and only minutes later Vikings QB Sage Rosenfels stuck a pass right on the numbers of Devin Aromashodu and the speedy veteran pranced in from 58 yards to make the score 14-10 in favor of Houston heading into the locker room at halftime.
Both teams came out and scored 14 points in the 3rd quarter, with Houston scoring on 76-yard punt return TD by Trindon Holliday, his 3rd return TD of the preseason, and then later on another Forsett TD run, this one from 5 yards. The Vikings scored TDs on a 59-yard bomb from McLeod Bethel-Thompson to rookie WR Jarius Wright and a 76-yard jaunt from RB Jordan Todman. But that was the end of the scoring, as neither team could muster any points in the 4th quarter. The Vikings mounted a drive late in the game and reached the Houston 21-yardline, but they couldn’t convert a 4th down and that allowed the Texans to run out the clock.
The game was sloppy at times and riddled with mistakes and penalties, but both teams put on explosive displays as well. There were seven TDs in the game, with six of the seven coming from 58 yards or more and three coming from 76 yards or more. Vikings QBs Joe Webb, Rosenfels and Bethel-Thompson were 26 of 47 for 351 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT, while the Purple churned out 245 rushing yards and 1 TD on 30 carries.
Few starters on either side played in the game, but there was a lot on the line as backups and reserves for each team tried to put their best foot forward in the hopes of earning a roster spot. For the Vikings, several players accomplished the goal.
Todman finished tied as the game’s leading rusher with Forsett, as both backs rushed for 114 yards. Forsett had 2 TDs while Todman had 1, but Todman accomplished his work with three fewer carries. Wright, whom the Vikings selected in the 4th round last April out of Arkansas, finished with 6 receptions for 122 yards and a TD in addition to a 20-yard end-around before he left the game with a sprained ankle. Aromashodu finished with 5 receptions for 89 yards and the TD while FB Matt Asiata averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 7 attempts. Rosenfels finished going 7 of 11 for 111 yards with the TD to Aromashodu.
Defensively, the Vikings were paced by rookie S Robert Blanton, who had 7 tackles. Fellow rookies LB Audie Cole and DT Chase Baker had 6 stops a piece, and Baker also added a sack. Cole collected 2 special teams tackles and DE Nick Reed also registered a sack.
The Vikings have concluded their preseason schedule and will now set their sights on declaring their 53-man roster, establishing a practice squad and then returning to work next week in preparation for their season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Mall of America Field.
